Hanging with Marley
by Kristenschaalisahorse
Summary: (Sequel) In which John baby-sits Marley while her parents go out on a date night.
1. Arriving

_Finally, the sequel! I started writing this halfway thru "We'll See" and couldn't wait to start posting it. c:_

_It starts about four years after the last chapter of We'll See. Enjoy (and sorry for the run-on sentences in this chapter)!_

It was a cloudy, but so far dry evening. Rain was being called for, but he was too preoccupied with other thoughts to worry about the rain right now. As he drove the ten or so miles to the girls' house in his old blue car (the same blue car in which he and Karkat had brought the girls home _from_ the hospital after that terrible night, and more recently brought Jade and Dave _to_ the hospital for that long night of awaiting their special arrival, who had _finally_ made his way into the world in the very wee hours of the morning), he was thinking hard about how he'd be spending the evening with the little lady.

He would be baby-sitting little Marley on his own tonight, what with Karkat being buried in paperwork. Her parents were going to have a date night, after a week of being work-bound for the hardest week since before she was born. Since her birth, they had not had many date nights, and they were pretty hesitant about this one. But John had pushed them into it (with help from Marley, who realized she'd be spending the evening with Uncle John if they were to go out), and so a date night Vriska and Terezi would have.

Marley liked the stories that John told her, and since she persisted he tell her them every time they hung out, he had nearly told her them all. From her first steps (how one day when they'd all been sitting on the couch talking, Marley had crawled over to the couch and pulled herself up on it, before lifting one socked foot up and replacing it, then repeating with the other foot, and going back and forth until she felt comfortable to let go and take two wobbly steps before falling on her rear end, giggling and turning around to be clapped at by them all), to her technical first word (Vriska had been pushing "Mama" for weeks since the baby's babbling had started, and one day when John and Karkat had been visiting, while the girls and John sat on the floor with the baby trying to make sense of her babbles, something had angered Karkat enough for him to curse loudly and growl under his breath. Marley had looked up at him from her spot on the floor and giggled before managing a very cute rendition of his curse. Karkat, John, and Terezi had busted into laughter at it, but Vriska, even though a smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth, had been firm, telling Marley in a motherly voice that that was a naughty word and she must not say it. She had laughed later with Terezi, of course, after the guys had left and the baby had been put to bed), and finally, her first birthday (where as soon as the tiny cake had been placed in front of her, she'd smiled ear to ear and proceeded to smash her tiny fists into the cake). There were some stories they had not told her, of course. How John had walked in when she was being born, and of course the whole being-a-twin thing...but they would come with time.

John smiled as he turned down the familiar street and saw the familiar apartment now just down the street. He loved the sight; all the time they'd spent there and whatnot. He took his usual spot right out front, and killed the engine. Looking down to his right side, he saw the white box buckled into the seat and grinned. He'd picked it up earlier that day, attached to it almost the moment his eyes fell on it. Little Marley would get the reference, of course; she'd seen the movie enough times. Still smiling, John first unbuckled his seat belt, then the one holding his gift. He tucked the box under his arm and got out of his car, and closed the door behind him. Before he could lock it, a happy screech from the apartment's front door made him look up just in time to see a small girl with dark hair and blue eyes in a pink tutu and a tiara run right for him.

"Uncle John!" the tiny princess yelled, her arms outstretched, a grin spreading across her face.

"Marles!" John called back, squatting at the beginning of the walk, stretching his arm not holding her present out to pull her in. She made it to him a moment later, snuggling herself into his chest as he wrapped his arm around her back.

"I missed you!" she said, turning her head and making her tiara fall off her head.

"I missed you, too." John said, kissing the top of her head.

"I got plans for us!" she said, pushing herself away and smiling up at him. John smiled back at her.

"What are we gonna do today?" he asked, bringing his free hand up to push a strand of hair out of her face.

"Come inside and see!" she said.

"Okay. But don't forget your tiara." he said, picking it up with his free hand, and placing it back on her head. She giggled.

"Thanks! Now, come on! They are almost ready to go!" she said, grabbing his hand, and pulling it. He smiled and stood up, and let her lead him up the pathway to the oh-so-familiar and homey apartment.


	2. Warm Welcomes

"Mom! John's here!" Marley yelled once inside, still pulling John by the hand. Vriska was standing at the mirror, messing with an earring. She turned away from it and smiled at John.

"Hi, John. Welcome."

"Hiya, Vriska. You look really nice tonight." he said, grinning.

"Aw, thank you. It's been a really long time since we've gone for a night on the town, so we've got to look nice."

"That's for sure! I'm glad you're getting out, finally."

"Terezi hasn't wanted to for the longest time because of...that night." Vriska whispered, and John nodded. "But when you agreed to watch Marley tonight, she finally agreed."

"I don't blame her for not wanting to, but I'm glad she's come around now." John said.

"Me, too, you can imagine." Vriska said, momentarily turning away from him to mess with the earring again. John took the moment to turn his attention back to Marley's present.

"Brought you something. Hope you like it." he said, handing her the white box. She took it and sat down on the floor, eager to open it. John smiled.

"Oh, John, you really spoil her." Vriska spoke up from the mirror, not looking away.

"She's my favorite little princess, I have to spoil her." John replied, watching Marley opening her gift.

"A bunny! Wow! Thanks, Uncle John!" Marley said, hugging her new stuffed animal close.

"Is that the _Con Air _bunny, John? Because knowing you, I wouldn't be that surprised." Vriska said, finally moving away from the mirror to stand next to him.

"It's not exactly the one, but it was the closest I could find."

"That's on the list of things to do tonight! Right between the tea party and dress up." Marley spoke up, smiling at John.

"Sounds like a plan, little lady. Let's help your parents get outta here first, then I'll do whatever you say." John said, and Marley nodded.

"Before we get outta here, you have to tell us about that new baby. The little Strider." Vriska said.

"Right!" John said, pulling out his phone. "I have pictures. He's a cute little thing. They seem to be getting along great."

"When can we see him again?" Marley asked, joining the conversation from the floor, hugging her bunny and looking up at John.

"I'll take you by there, soon. But look, he's definately got Jade's eyes." John said, handing over his phone to Vriska to show a picture.

"Lemme see!" Marley said, standing carefully, and grabbing John's leg.

"Oh, most definately." Vriska agreed. "He's cute."

Vriska finished looking and leaned over to show Marley, who was still on John's leg.

"Aww!" she said, smiling at the photo. They had all been in the waiting room when he was born, Marley asleep on Vriska's lap, but once word had spread about his arrival, they had all been ushered to the room, where Dave had already been monologing. Well, more like, vocalizing his sudden fears about being a dad. The girls had let him do his vocalizing by the window to John, and had then seen the brand-new baby who would later become Marley's best friend.

"Handsome, isn't he? I assume Dave's over his fear of dropping him by now. Marley, did you know that you pretty much inspired them wanting a baby?" John asked.

"What's 'inspired' mean?" Marley asked, looking confused a moment.

"It means that...well, when you were born, they saw how cute you were, and it made them want a baby, too." Vriska explained.

"Wow, really? I inspired something!" she exclaimed, excitedely.

"That's right!" John said, suddenly bending down and picking Marley up. She screeched and giggled, as he lifted her above his head.

There was another giggle from behind, then a voice with a smile in it:

"Don't wile her up too much John, you'll never get to sleep."

John brought Marley back down and held her in his arms, and turned to greet the other parent.

"Hi, Terezi! You look really nice, too!"

"Thanks, John, I'll take your word for it. It's really been a while..."

Vriska appeared besides Terezi and kissed her cheek. "Tonight will be great, you'll see."

Terezi smiled. "I know. So do you think it's about time we got going? Our reservation wont last forever."

"Yeah, I think so. Alright, John, there's a checklist by-"

He held up his hand. "Dont worry, I got this. You girls go out and have a ton of fun, okay? Dont worry about us."

"Have a good time!" Marley chirped happily. Vriska leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"You be good, okay? Listen to John and dont forget to brush your teeth before bed."

"Moooom, I wont forget! Go, have a good time! Love you lots!"

Terezi kissed her cheek next. "Dont tire John out too much, little one. See you later."

"Love you." Marley said again.

"Love you more."

"Bye, girls." John said smiling, one hand raised in goodbye.

"Call if anything happens, we'll be-"

"Don't worry, Terezi, we'll be fine. Thanks, John. Goodbye." Vriska said, grabbing Terezi's hand and leading her out the door. John closed it behind them, still grinning. He put Marley down and bent to her level.

"So what's first on the agenda?" he asked. Marley just grinned.


End file.
